Sam Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 New meter thing and the reading is 1008, so my old or must have been broken for a few readings. Better i suppose as its now 5% not 7.5%! It's also much clearer too. Bottling tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted November 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 Annoying that your hydrometer was bust, but seems a more reasonable reading. I just brewed my 2nd batch which had an start reading of 1038. I also received my aquarium heater so I can keep it at a constant 22 degrees as per instructions. This ones the coopers brewmaster pilsner. Hopefully it will be complete a couple of weeks after my current one so I'm constantly topped up over the festive period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Sounds like it won't get too strong with as starting figure like that. I've got my heater as well, so will be moving the whole operation to my house, making it a lot easier to check etc. We ended up in Wilkinsons last night to get the hydrometer and it had a good range of home brew stuff, so I can get new beer easily and quick, rather than waiting for half orders to arrive from the home brew shop. I reckon I can squeeze in a 3rd brew for the latter part of the Christmas holidays (NYE?). The beer will brew for a week and only need 2 weeks to condition from what I've read. I reckon I'll barrel the 2nd batch just for me at home! Sod the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted November 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Yeah wilko's ain't half bad for selection, useful like you say for not having to wait around. I did think the starting gravity was a little low, so i expect at best around 4%. I did also stick a litre too much water in by mistake so that probably didn't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Bottled! With 2 people it wasn't that bad, took some time though! Got 40 good ones and 4 a bit yeasty which are in the bucket. Next brew in my house with a thermostat tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Good work, now its all about the wait, lol. I reckon i might stick one in the fridge this weekend and give it a try. Today i was also introduced to the Brewferm range as the next brew i wanted to be similar to Duvel, their Diablo looks identical. http://www.brewferm.be/en/index.htm Here is a list of my next brews , most likely they will all be Brewferm, although their kits only produce small amounts which is a shame. - Diablo - Triple - Wheat - Gold - Kreik (for the Mrs) May move the Kreik up in the list though to keep her happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Larger now brewing. A nicer smell than the ale! I put a heater in this one too! Might get one of them for the next batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted November 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 My second brew is well under way, and boy does it stink. Has a really really strong sulphur smell, almost unbearable to be in the room!!! I didn't go with a heater for this one as it seems to be sticking around 20 degrees, and the instructions say 21 so its near enough. Apparently this one is bottom fermenting so can work with temps down to 13 Celsius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 29, 2012 Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 I hope that doesn't happen to mine as its in the lounge! My heater is on 24 and the liquid it at 21, so I've turned it up. Without a heater it'd soon be ice I reckon. We're going to take the first measure on Tuesday, hoping to bottle on Thursday/Friday next week (7/8 days brewing). The ale took 11 and was still a little cloudy, but I did put a little too much sugar in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted December 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Tried a bottle of my brew over the weekend. Aside from it not being anywhere near carbonated enough, it actually didn't taste too bad. Looking forward to a couple of weeks time to see how it progresses. Id say the only issue is that once i cooled it i got 'chill haze', and it was also a little difficult to pour due to the sediment in the bottle. Next brew will get moved to a secondary FV and left to clear for a couple of weeks before bottling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 I'm so tempted to try some of mine. Will probably have one after work on Friday with dad, it'll have been 10 days since bottling. How much sediment are we talking? The bottles I'm checking daily for clarity look like they've got none in the whole bottle. I just don't have the space to do things like that, I'm hard pushed to store 20 bottles in my house let alone 2 FVs and the next batch of bottles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted December 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 I had a fair amount on the bottom of each bottle, maybe 1-2mm worth after a day in the fridge...I had to leave about a half inch in the bottle to avoid getting it in my glass, but could probably have poured a little better and got that down to a quarter inch or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Humm. First measure and taste of batch 2. Coming along nicely much further on than the ale was after this time, still cloudy and has sediment floating, reckon 4 more days. Tastes good, still quite like the ale, but lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Tasted my second batch ton too. It's a bit darker n has a much more hoppy taste to it, should be done fermenting so can move it to settle now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted December 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Just had another of my first brew after 2 weeks priming. Im pleased to say they have Plenty of fizz n taste great. Can't wait to drink the remaining 43 bottles! Has to be said. I'm well impressed with homebrewing.l, definitely worth the effort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Ales looking and tasting damn good. 2 more weeks in the bottles and it'll be great. (Attached) Also tasted the larger, very good and clear. Going to bottle tomorrow. So 2 weeks for that to settle too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danw8986 Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Good work, now its all about the wait, lol. I reckon i might stick one in the fridge this weekend and give it a try. Today i was also introduced to the Brewferm range as the next brew i wanted to be similar to Duvel, their Diablo looks identical. http://www.brewferm.be/en/index.htm Here is a list of my next brews , most likely they will all be Brewferm, although their kits only produce small amounts which is a shame. - Diablo - Triple - Wheat - Gold - Kreik (for the Mrs) May move the Kreik up in the list though to keep her happy. Ive done a few of the brewferm range in the past, their Kreik it quite dificult to get right and i ended up useing loads of addatives to get a decent taste at the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted December 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Well the Kreik is only to keep her happy, as it was one of the only beers she would drink when we went to Burgges! Here's a pic of my Pilsner, with plenty of fizz! My next pilsner has completed fermenting but im going to leave it another week in the FV then a week or so in a secondary before priming. Hoping that it will clear down a lot more than my current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messer Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Yey a homebrew thread! I'm in to homebrew done a few batches now. My favourite real ale is woodfordes wherry and lager I find the twin wort lagers better. Current batch is muntons gold continental pilsner and used light spray malt in the bottles instead of sugar and its much nicer! Beers and lagers get much better after about 6 months even though the boxes say all done in 3 weeks. A tip if you find them a little flat is to roll the bottle the length of a table to agitate the years and put back near a radiator for a couple of weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimp Choker Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Well the Kreik is only to keep her happy, as it was one of the only beers she would drink when we went to Burgges! Here's a pic of my Pilsner, with plenty of fizz! My next pilsner has completed fermenting but im going to leave it another week in the FV then a week or so in a secondary before priming. Hoping that it will clear down a lot more than my current one. That looks lush Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Larger bottled last night. Got 46 bottles, with little sediment in the last few. Tastes good, I think I'll like it more than the ale. Roll on Christmas! Is 90 bottles enough?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 Verdict? Everyone seemed to like the ale, the 18 bottles I took didnt last that long, but to lazy to walk home and get some more. Larger hasn't been tried as it was very flat last week, if is still flat this week, I'll have to do something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 (edited) Woah, its been a while Si! I left both of mine for a bit and have started drinking them again, worlds apart! No horrible after taste, clear smooth and taste great! My dad keeps asking when the next batch goes on, reckon ill do one this month in time for spring consumption. Still got any left, fancie a swap? Edited February 7, 2013 by Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Er what's "larger" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Er what's "larger" ? :D/> is that a stab at the other topic?! Home brew larger is allowed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...